I'll be the first one to admit I am not in to New Year's resolutions. In fact, I would argue it's almost become a punchline in recent years because everyone jokes about the resolutions they made at the start of the year only to realize by the end of January that they forgot what they resolved to do (with all good intentions) a few short weeks earlier. As I poke fun I must admit three things about myself that may seem just as silly to you about myself: First: I am proud to have been born, raised and lived most of my life in the great state of Texas, Second: I AM extremely superstitious and Third: (as we say in Texas) I will be eating me a big ole bowl of black eyed peas for good luck on New Year's Day!
It's worked pretty well so far and I see no reason to jinx it now!
So although I am not a fan of the New Year's reSolution I think the New Year is a great time to consider what reVolutions need to be made. What a great contrast can be drawn here just by changing one letter in a word. Although the difference in spelling and and grammar is minute the difference in meaning is enormous! Paraphrasing my trusty desk dictionary a resolution is an individual decision meant to change an individuals thinking. A revolution, by contrast is a radical and pervasive change that impacts society as a whole. So I ask you, as we sit on the doorstep of 2012, is your intention to make incremental changes in your thoughts and behaviors that might (for a short time) make you feel better about yourself or would you rather do things radically different that dare I say, could change the world and leave an indelible mark?
Mahatma Gandhi said "we must be the change we want to see." This is one of those things that is so simple that you have to ask the question "then why are so few people doing anything?" If we are waiting for others to change our circumstances, our well-being and our world then I suggest 2012 will be just another year where very little does change and we diligently seek to find people and things to blame - all except, of course, ourselves. What if instead we make 2012 a year where we are the catalysts and we do the work to be the change? Do you see your future getting brighter and your opportunities coming in to focus? I sure do. Let me quickly add a warning sign as you enter the freeway for change and start accelerating to your destinations for 2012:
Warning: Lots of Hard Work Ahead.
The truth is, most people don't like (read are afraid) of change. The more you try the more resistance you will face. I challenge you to keep pushing forward and not be dissuaded by nay sayers and so called realists who will tell you all the reasons why what you have set out to change won't work. It may not be easy but most of the best things in life never are. I submit the examples of Thomas Edison, Mother Theresa and Anne Frank if you want to use their lives as examples of drawing a road map of success in the most trying of circumstances.
In closing, my challenge for you is to make 2012 the year of 212. It's still one of my favorite analogies. At 211 degrees water is hot. At 212 water boils. With boiling water comes steam. With steam you can power a train. One extra degree makes all the difference. I challenge you to find the one extra degree of difference that will make 2012 a REVOLUTIONARY new year!
Thank you for reading my blog this year. I am humbled and honored that you consider it a good use of your time and I appreciate the great feedback, comments and compliments I have received. Happy New Year to all of you!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Giving is Receiving
Like most of you, I recall fondly the Christmases and holiday times of my childhood. I guess I'm getting old and can say it was a lot better and more fun when Christmas wasn't so commercialized and every time you settled down to watch Frosty the Snowman or the Little Drummer Boy on television you weren't accosted by holiday ads from retailers trying to "out sale" their competitors. I must say, however, I am amused by some of the creative names that companies have come up with to call their sales during this time of year - not!
Over the last few years of definitely the most significant economic crisis of my lifetime I have learned first hand how to budget my time, money and resources in such a way where I can honestly say there are very few things that I don't already have that I really need. Health? Check. Beautiful and wonderful wife? Check. Three great kids? Check. A business that I love with all of my heart and can't wait to get to every morning (even though it might have been more fun when we were making more money)? Check! People that I love to work with and that challenge me to be a better person? Check. I could go on but you get the point. So what was it I was saying I really needed? How about you?
I don't mean to be ignorant or irresponsible. I definitely recognize that many people this Holiday are out of work and there is great need all around us that is waiting to be met by those of us who are blessed with so much. I can never do enough but I must do my part - and so must you. The holidays are a great time to count our blessings and share our blessings with others and a lot of people do just that. It's easy to donate time and money to wonderful organizations that help people enjoy the holidays a little bit more.
A couple of years ago my wife and I took our kids on Christmas morning to help feed homeless people a hot prepared meal and to pass out some coats, socks and other daily necessities. Without the generosity of the church and the volunteers that Christmas morning the people we served would have had no other means to enjoy the food and necessities that were provided that day. Christmas to them would have been just another day like every other day.
As we helped to serve the hundreds of people that came through the doors that chilly morning I was struck by the fact that we were practically tripping over the other volunteers that came out that morning. What a wonderful thing that so many people would give up a few hours of their Christmas morning and early afternoon to help those less fortunate. I also couldn't help but think as I looked out over the throng of volunteers, I wonder how many of these people will be back here on January 25th, February 25th and every other month of the year?
Like I said, if we allow ourselves to consider how much need there is around us we can easily become overwhelmed and feel as though our minute contributions don't matter. I'm sure if we're honest a lot of us would have to admit that's what holds us back. What if, however everyone had that attitude and there was no one to lend a hand? Thank goodness, that's not the case. So my challenge to all of you is to do something - anything! Don't worry about the outcome and don't look for or expect any rewards. I can't tell you what to do or how to do it but I can promise you this from my own experiences. When you get outside of yourself in this way it's a little scary - and totally invigorating!
Once you take the first step the ones following get easier as you move along. By the time you're finished you will be filled with a feeling that I cannot explain but can only recommend. Along the way, you will see things that will inspire you and things that will break your heart. Most importantly, you will see that we are all created alike and each of us has a lot more in common than we have things that separate us. Most importantly, you'll find the greatest gift you can receive on this earth. The gift of giving. May you be blessed with a renewed spirit of giving both now in the Holiday Season and throughout the New Year 2012.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Over the last few years of definitely the most significant economic crisis of my lifetime I have learned first hand how to budget my time, money and resources in such a way where I can honestly say there are very few things that I don't already have that I really need. Health? Check. Beautiful and wonderful wife? Check. Three great kids? Check. A business that I love with all of my heart and can't wait to get to every morning (even though it might have been more fun when we were making more money)? Check! People that I love to work with and that challenge me to be a better person? Check. I could go on but you get the point. So what was it I was saying I really needed? How about you?
I don't mean to be ignorant or irresponsible. I definitely recognize that many people this Holiday are out of work and there is great need all around us that is waiting to be met by those of us who are blessed with so much. I can never do enough but I must do my part - and so must you. The holidays are a great time to count our blessings and share our blessings with others and a lot of people do just that. It's easy to donate time and money to wonderful organizations that help people enjoy the holidays a little bit more.
A couple of years ago my wife and I took our kids on Christmas morning to help feed homeless people a hot prepared meal and to pass out some coats, socks and other daily necessities. Without the generosity of the church and the volunteers that Christmas morning the people we served would have had no other means to enjoy the food and necessities that were provided that day. Christmas to them would have been just another day like every other day.
As we helped to serve the hundreds of people that came through the doors that chilly morning I was struck by the fact that we were practically tripping over the other volunteers that came out that morning. What a wonderful thing that so many people would give up a few hours of their Christmas morning and early afternoon to help those less fortunate. I also couldn't help but think as I looked out over the throng of volunteers, I wonder how many of these people will be back here on January 25th, February 25th and every other month of the year?
Like I said, if we allow ourselves to consider how much need there is around us we can easily become overwhelmed and feel as though our minute contributions don't matter. I'm sure if we're honest a lot of us would have to admit that's what holds us back. What if, however everyone had that attitude and there was no one to lend a hand? Thank goodness, that's not the case. So my challenge to all of you is to do something - anything! Don't worry about the outcome and don't look for or expect any rewards. I can't tell you what to do or how to do it but I can promise you this from my own experiences. When you get outside of yourself in this way it's a little scary - and totally invigorating!
Once you take the first step the ones following get easier as you move along. By the time you're finished you will be filled with a feeling that I cannot explain but can only recommend. Along the way, you will see things that will inspire you and things that will break your heart. Most importantly, you will see that we are all created alike and each of us has a lot more in common than we have things that separate us. Most importantly, you'll find the greatest gift you can receive on this earth. The gift of giving. May you be blessed with a renewed spirit of giving both now in the Holiday Season and throughout the New Year 2012.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Giving Thanks
It's too bad the holidays only come around once a year, although the older I get the less time there is every year between packing up the Christmas decorations to digging out the platter and electric knife to carve up the Thanksgiving turkey. I love Christmas for all of the nostalgia and memories of my childhood and now living vicariously through my children, although the days of being overjoyed by the magic of all that the Holiday means has waned a bit as they have become teenagers. I can more clearly see the days when I will be looking forward to welcoming my kids home for Christmas than the times we have shared with them as little ones, which is a little sad I suppose but it certainly makes me value each and every holiday season that much more.
The one thing that I don't like about Christmas is the (over) commercialization and bombardment by retailers trying to eek out their end of year sales on a high note. As someone directly tied to the retail industry I completely understand it but wish it wasn't so "in your face." The over development of retail space and retail stores, brick and mortar, or more increasingly online, is another subject for another day. The other thing I don't like about Christmas is that it seems like Thanksgiving has become almost an afterthought. Well, I hope I can change your way of thinking here, as I have changed mine in recent years.
There is nothing better than Thanksgiving day and Thanksgiving weekend. The food, the family, the friends and the day for us all to create a little space to disengage from our hectic schedules. If there is anything better than a Thanksgiving nap after lunch or dinner in this world, I haven't found it yet. Those who know me well know my passion for football and Thanksgiving Day my whole life has meant Dallas Cowboys football. I cannot imagine a last Thursday in November without a Cowboys game. Each of us have our own things that make the day, the weekend and the season special. Whatever those things are, I say we embrace them for all their worth this year.
Life is a funny and precious thing. We never know what lies around the next corner or stage of life and all we have is right now. So instead of worrying about yesterday and fretting about tomorrow I say we give enormously grateful thanks for TODAY - which is all any of us are guaranteed. I am only two years removed from spending Thanksgiving week and the week after in the hospital, unable to eat or drink anything. It was amongst the lowest points in my life but out of that difficulty was born my intense gratitude for what I am about to enjoy this week.
I am thankful for way too many things to even attempt to list them within this post. I tell my friends all the time and it is really true - I am the luckiest guy in the world. My hope for all of us is that we will relish every moment of the day tomorrow - and no, I'm not talking about more cranberry sauce! Really live in each and every moment and take time to reflect and review how blessed and how fortunate we are to be able to be alive in exciting and challenging times like these. To be able to create our futures and determine the paths we will follow. I could go on and on but you get the point.
I could close this post in so many ways but I have chosen to recite a couple of quotes that I think say what I am feeling more eloquently than I ever could. One is a German philosopher who lived several centuries ago and one is one of the most well known U.S. presidents of the 20th century.
"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was 'Thank You,' that would suffice." -Meister Eckhardt
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Happy Thanksgiving - and "Thank You" for following my posts.
The one thing that I don't like about Christmas is the (over) commercialization and bombardment by retailers trying to eek out their end of year sales on a high note. As someone directly tied to the retail industry I completely understand it but wish it wasn't so "in your face." The over development of retail space and retail stores, brick and mortar, or more increasingly online, is another subject for another day. The other thing I don't like about Christmas is that it seems like Thanksgiving has become almost an afterthought. Well, I hope I can change your way of thinking here, as I have changed mine in recent years.
There is nothing better than Thanksgiving day and Thanksgiving weekend. The food, the family, the friends and the day for us all to create a little space to disengage from our hectic schedules. If there is anything better than a Thanksgiving nap after lunch or dinner in this world, I haven't found it yet. Those who know me well know my passion for football and Thanksgiving Day my whole life has meant Dallas Cowboys football. I cannot imagine a last Thursday in November without a Cowboys game. Each of us have our own things that make the day, the weekend and the season special. Whatever those things are, I say we embrace them for all their worth this year.
Life is a funny and precious thing. We never know what lies around the next corner or stage of life and all we have is right now. So instead of worrying about yesterday and fretting about tomorrow I say we give enormously grateful thanks for TODAY - which is all any of us are guaranteed. I am only two years removed from spending Thanksgiving week and the week after in the hospital, unable to eat or drink anything. It was amongst the lowest points in my life but out of that difficulty was born my intense gratitude for what I am about to enjoy this week.
I am thankful for way too many things to even attempt to list them within this post. I tell my friends all the time and it is really true - I am the luckiest guy in the world. My hope for all of us is that we will relish every moment of the day tomorrow - and no, I'm not talking about more cranberry sauce! Really live in each and every moment and take time to reflect and review how blessed and how fortunate we are to be able to be alive in exciting and challenging times like these. To be able to create our futures and determine the paths we will follow. I could go on and on but you get the point.
I could close this post in so many ways but I have chosen to recite a couple of quotes that I think say what I am feeling more eloquently than I ever could. One is a German philosopher who lived several centuries ago and one is one of the most well known U.S. presidents of the 20th century.
"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was 'Thank You,' that would suffice." -Meister Eckhardt
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Happy Thanksgiving - and "Thank You" for following my posts.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Up and Down
It's easy to focus on all of the negativity around us right now. In case you feel slighted just turn on the television, pick up a newspaper or surf the Internet. Apparently you can make a lot of money by telling everyone how terrible they should feel and how horrible the world around them is. Being a realist I can say that I understand these people have had plenty of ammunition the last few years from which they could load their weapons. The optimistic side of me hopes to get out of the mire and the muck and to rise above it all and find ways to make myself and everyone around me feel fabulous each and every day. It may take a little more work these days to stay up than it does to keep the status quo but it also makes you in to a person that more people will want to associate with, be friends with and most importantly do business with.
I have a friend that I don't do business with directly but whom I get to see and talk with on a fairly regular basis. I'll call her Mary. Mary is the type of person that everyone loves to be around. Ask Mary a rote question such as "how are you," "how are things" or "what's going on" and you're going to get back a list of (very enthusiastic) adjectives such as "FANTASTIC!" "AMAZING!" "INCREDIBLE!" or "AWESOME!" I can be in the midst of a downer of a day and have a 2 minute chat with Mary and walk away with a smile on my face and a determination and dedication to, as Zig Ziglar says, be a "Good Finder." Don't you just love people like Mary?
So, I wonder, has Mary always acted this way, no matter what? More importantly, how does she stay up even when everyone and everything else seems to be down? Finally, what things can I learn and emulate from her? So in a recent conversation I asked. In a nutshell she told me "I just decided to be light in a world of darkness." Sure, she has bad days. Sure, she gets disappointed, let down and all the other bad stuff we all deal with. She just has a way of responding to life and not reacting to it. She also told me "it takes no more effort to be up than it does to stay down and so my focus is on helping others stay up no matter what is going on around them." I love that.
Think about that for a few minutes. Really. What if, instead of reacting every time we got upset, disappointed, lied to, cut off in traffic, whatever we decided to respond in a way that was different than most people react? How much better and more productive would your day be? How much better would it be for the people you work with, work for, interact with and (gulp) live with? I have to think it would be noticeable, to say the least. I have to think that like Mary people would be positively impacted and that their positive attitudes towards you would be reflected back in a way that would create a feeling of positive momentum inside yourself that would be hard to contain. Why, it almost sounds easy, doesn't it?! It sure sounds like more fun than living on the edge and reacting to all the negativity in our world. Then why don't we (I) do it?
This is not a question of ability or skill. It's a question of intentions. You can decide you don't want to do it and remain status quo like most of the other people around you OR you can decide that you are going to be different in a way that no matter how those around you respond makes you feel better, act better and perform better. Indeed these are the people that are making things happen and not sitting still just because of what is happening in Washington, Wall Street or Main Street. You could say they march to a different beat. And they are having a lot more fun doing it.
So my challenge to myself and to you is to make a decision. Will you stay up and respond to life from a mindset of making yourself and your world a better place? Or will you continue to react to the (mostly) negative things going on around you? I hope after you make your decision I can shake your hand and share your happiness from the top of the hill!
I have a friend that I don't do business with directly but whom I get to see and talk with on a fairly regular basis. I'll call her Mary. Mary is the type of person that everyone loves to be around. Ask Mary a rote question such as "how are you," "how are things" or "what's going on" and you're going to get back a list of (very enthusiastic) adjectives such as "FANTASTIC!" "AMAZING!" "INCREDIBLE!" or "AWESOME!" I can be in the midst of a downer of a day and have a 2 minute chat with Mary and walk away with a smile on my face and a determination and dedication to, as Zig Ziglar says, be a "Good Finder." Don't you just love people like Mary?
So, I wonder, has Mary always acted this way, no matter what? More importantly, how does she stay up even when everyone and everything else seems to be down? Finally, what things can I learn and emulate from her? So in a recent conversation I asked. In a nutshell she told me "I just decided to be light in a world of darkness." Sure, she has bad days. Sure, she gets disappointed, let down and all the other bad stuff we all deal with. She just has a way of responding to life and not reacting to it. She also told me "it takes no more effort to be up than it does to stay down and so my focus is on helping others stay up no matter what is going on around them." I love that.
Think about that for a few minutes. Really. What if, instead of reacting every time we got upset, disappointed, lied to, cut off in traffic, whatever we decided to respond in a way that was different than most people react? How much better and more productive would your day be? How much better would it be for the people you work with, work for, interact with and (gulp) live with? I have to think it would be noticeable, to say the least. I have to think that like Mary people would be positively impacted and that their positive attitudes towards you would be reflected back in a way that would create a feeling of positive momentum inside yourself that would be hard to contain. Why, it almost sounds easy, doesn't it?! It sure sounds like more fun than living on the edge and reacting to all the negativity in our world. Then why don't we (I) do it?
This is not a question of ability or skill. It's a question of intentions. You can decide you don't want to do it and remain status quo like most of the other people around you OR you can decide that you are going to be different in a way that no matter how those around you respond makes you feel better, act better and perform better. Indeed these are the people that are making things happen and not sitting still just because of what is happening in Washington, Wall Street or Main Street. You could say they march to a different beat. And they are having a lot more fun doing it.
So my challenge to myself and to you is to make a decision. Will you stay up and respond to life from a mindset of making yourself and your world a better place? Or will you continue to react to the (mostly) negative things going on around you? I hope after you make your decision I can shake your hand and share your happiness from the top of the hill!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Working on Purpose
I was thinking the other day about when I first graduated from college and
began working in the family business. I am a lifelong student of business with
a keen interest in how to drive growth and long-term success. From the very
beginning I have dreamt of taking our business to even greater heights, which
would be an amazing accomplishment based on how successful my parents have been
in founding and establishing our company. Not just so I could reap the rewards
and benefits for myself but so that we could build something together that
everyone with a stake in the business could take pride in.
I remember back in those early days reading and thinking a lot about writing a Corporate Mission Statement. It was the hot management topic of the day in the business world and was being used to foster growth and ingenuity at a time when business and economic growth was practically guaranteed. The exuberance of the developing world economy and companies with newly defined corporate missions fueled a time of impressive growth and fostered the dreams of a young business grad looking to make his mark on his company and the greater marketplace. It was a dream that lived for over a decade and consumed too much of my time. It propelled me to seek and earn an MBA to add even more business acumen seeking to bring my value and worth forward in new and exciting ways.
Fast forward a few years and here we are in 2011. A lot of business fads have come and gone. So have a lot of businesses. It is a cruel world to own any kind of business these days but whether in times of great gains or great losses, great advances in technologies and efficiencies or great setbacks in ability to secure financing or credit one thing has remained the same and will long after I am gone. Human nature.
We all have deep rooted desires. Many are as different as each individual person, however when it comes to work we all have some basic needs: to be recognized and compensated for our efforts, to learn, to be challenged and to have a feeling that what we do matters. As a business owner I walk a fine line between working in the business versus working on the business. While there are many things I enjoy doing and can easily justify spending my entire day get involved in the minutiae of my business it is imperative for the long-term success of my business that I always have an eye on the future.
About a year ago I started working on a project that quickly grabbed my interest. How could we take our 300 plus year old company and revive and reinvigorate ourselves from the inside out? How do we use the successes of our past as a platform to catapult us to new heights that I have been dreaming about for 25 years? Even in a difficult economy! With a fair investment of time and a little money I have found some answers and we are just beginning to implement some of our findings. The tide has turned, the winds have changed and corporately, we are all uniting together around some common language and purposes.
I look forward to sharing specific ideas and results in upcoming posts but for now here are some of the questions we asked ourselves that I think are worthy for consideration by any individual or corporation aspiring to greater things. Why do we exist? What needs and desires drive us towards our intended outcomes? Who and what do we hope to become? What purpose we were created to fulfill that we can uniquely fill in a way that makes a difference for all of our consumers, customers and stakeholders?
Best wishes for some purposeful contemplation!
I remember back in those early days reading and thinking a lot about writing a Corporate Mission Statement. It was the hot management topic of the day in the business world and was being used to foster growth and ingenuity at a time when business and economic growth was practically guaranteed. The exuberance of the developing world economy and companies with newly defined corporate missions fueled a time of impressive growth and fostered the dreams of a young business grad looking to make his mark on his company and the greater marketplace. It was a dream that lived for over a decade and consumed too much of my time. It propelled me to seek and earn an MBA to add even more business acumen seeking to bring my value and worth forward in new and exciting ways.
Fast forward a few years and here we are in 2011. A lot of business fads have come and gone. So have a lot of businesses. It is a cruel world to own any kind of business these days but whether in times of great gains or great losses, great advances in technologies and efficiencies or great setbacks in ability to secure financing or credit one thing has remained the same and will long after I am gone. Human nature.
We all have deep rooted desires. Many are as different as each individual person, however when it comes to work we all have some basic needs: to be recognized and compensated for our efforts, to learn, to be challenged and to have a feeling that what we do matters. As a business owner I walk a fine line between working in the business versus working on the business. While there are many things I enjoy doing and can easily justify spending my entire day get involved in the minutiae of my business it is imperative for the long-term success of my business that I always have an eye on the future.
About a year ago I started working on a project that quickly grabbed my interest. How could we take our 300 plus year old company and revive and reinvigorate ourselves from the inside out? How do we use the successes of our past as a platform to catapult us to new heights that I have been dreaming about for 25 years? Even in a difficult economy! With a fair investment of time and a little money I have found some answers and we are just beginning to implement some of our findings. The tide has turned, the winds have changed and corporately, we are all uniting together around some common language and purposes.
I look forward to sharing specific ideas and results in upcoming posts but for now here are some of the questions we asked ourselves that I think are worthy for consideration by any individual or corporation aspiring to greater things. Why do we exist? What needs and desires drive us towards our intended outcomes? Who and what do we hope to become? What purpose we were created to fulfill that we can uniquely fill in a way that makes a difference for all of our consumers, customers and stakeholders?
Best wishes for some purposeful contemplation!
Friday, September 9, 2011
The Art of the Ask
I've written in previous posts about the importance of staying in touch with customers, constituents and contacts. In the age of e-mail, instant messaging and social media I think people are actually delighted to have face to face or person to person conversations today. At least all of those over the age of 21.
So it occurs to me and I've been reading up a lot lately, how do you get people to slow down and find out what is really going inside and around the people you're meeting and talking with? It is my experience, especially in a situation where you may be trying to get someone to think differently and to take on your way of thinking that both parties will try to do whatever they can to begin and end the conversation as quickly as possible. If you get people to say "yes" enough times then the thinking goes they will say "yes" when you ask them to agree with your line of thinking or buying what you're trying to sell them. This model is as outdated as command and control corporations where the marching orders are read every morning and the soldiers fall in line or they get replaced.
In another attempt to verify the old adage of my father is absolutely 100% correct I can say again if it was easy anybody could do it. Most people don't, though. What's that you ask? My answer is yes! If you're not totally confused yet hang in for another sentence or so. To answer your question with another question (one of the techniques that shows you are mastering the skill) my question to you is "How good are you at asking questions?" It seems obvious but just in case I don't mean innocuous yes or no or mindless questions such as:
The quality of your questions gives you a leg up on 95% of the population (and your competitors) for several reasons. Here is a list of a few and I assure you there are more:
Instead of....
How's business?
Give this a try...
What are your business goals for this month? Quarter? Year?
Followed by....
What are you focusing on to help deliver these results?
Further enhanced by...
How are you partnering with your vendors and involving your employees to ensure the results you need?
One more...
Instead of...
How are you today?
Try...
Tell me the most fun (insert any other adjective, i.e. exciting) thing that happened to you today?
Drop the...
What's up?
Instead say...
What are you planning for fun this upcoming weekend? Next week? This month?
You get the idea and you can come up with better ones than I did. The key is to practice - every day. The goal is to get people to talking about themselves, to tell you what has their attention, what they are interested in and what motivates and moves them. All of this from a simple question? I'll close again by answering a question with a question:
How do you expect to get different and better results in all areas of your life if you're not willing to try something new? I'm just askin'.....
So it occurs to me and I've been reading up a lot lately, how do you get people to slow down and find out what is really going inside and around the people you're meeting and talking with? It is my experience, especially in a situation where you may be trying to get someone to think differently and to take on your way of thinking that both parties will try to do whatever they can to begin and end the conversation as quickly as possible. If you get people to say "yes" enough times then the thinking goes they will say "yes" when you ask them to agree with your line of thinking or buying what you're trying to sell them. This model is as outdated as command and control corporations where the marching orders are read every morning and the soldiers fall in line or they get replaced.
In another attempt to verify the old adage of my father is absolutely 100% correct I can say again if it was easy anybody could do it. Most people don't, though. What's that you ask? My answer is yes! If you're not totally confused yet hang in for another sentence or so. To answer your question with another question (one of the techniques that shows you are mastering the skill) my question to you is "How good are you at asking questions?" It seems obvious but just in case I don't mean innocuous yes or no or mindless questions such as:
- How are you today?
- What's new with you?
- How's business?
- Can you believe the weather we're having?
The quality of your questions gives you a leg up on 95% of the population (and your competitors) for several reasons. Here is a list of a few and I assure you there are more:
- It shows people you care
- It causes people to open up and be more honest about their feelings and motivations
- It demands that you become a better listener
- It takes the pressure off of your meeting, especially if it is with someone you just met or are trying to sell to or persuade to think differently about a product, service, or point of view
- It puts you in a position of leading the conversation while the other person feels like they are the ones doing all the speaking and thereby in control
- It produces results
Instead of....
How's business?
Give this a try...
What are your business goals for this month? Quarter? Year?
Followed by....
What are you focusing on to help deliver these results?
Further enhanced by...
How are you partnering with your vendors and involving your employees to ensure the results you need?
One more...
Instead of...
How are you today?
Try...
Tell me the most fun (insert any other adjective, i.e. exciting) thing that happened to you today?
Drop the...
What's up?
Instead say...
What are you planning for fun this upcoming weekend? Next week? This month?
You get the idea and you can come up with better ones than I did. The key is to practice - every day. The goal is to get people to talking about themselves, to tell you what has their attention, what they are interested in and what motivates and moves them. All of this from a simple question? I'll close again by answering a question with a question:
How do you expect to get different and better results in all areas of your life if you're not willing to try something new? I'm just askin'.....
Friday, September 2, 2011
How to WOW!
I had the pleasure of attending and exhibiting at the FN Platform show which runs alongside the MAGIC Show in Las Vegas last week. It is one of my favorite weeks of the year not just because Las Vegas is my personal grown up Disneyland but because for one of only two times during the year all of my friends, customers and acquaintances from within the shoe industry come together under on roof to renew old relationships, meet new people and commiserate on the future of our industry and the economy as a whole.
The show itself is almost anti-climatic just like the wedding ceremony or the prom dance. What I mean is that there is so much preparation, planning and work that goes in to what gets done once the actual event rolls around that it's actually a relief to just get to the opening day of the show and to be able to put all those weeks of meetings and hours of work in to action. While I suspect that everyone puts the same amount of work into preparing for the show as we do it is interesting to watch and see how people do things differently and how our expectations vary. There are three very distinct approaches with not very surprising results:
The Show Up Hopers: These well meaning folks just can't understand why business is so slow and are happy to proclaim to anyone who will listen what a bust the show is. The funny thing is these folks seemingly do little or nothing to prepare to make a great first impression on their customers and prospects and they even more inexplicably assume that "if they build it, they will come." What's more their preparation weeks and months ahead of the show seems to match their first impression and they do very little to intentionally drive traffic to their booth. That's a hard way to make a living in today's world. And a long three days to sit in an empty booth and watch all the business go somewhere else.
The Steady Eddies: Nothing really wrong with these folks at all. They are consistent, reliable, loyal and (dare I say) predictable. They pretty much do the same thing every time and their same customers come to see them just like they do every show. They are happy with the status quo and as long as they see all the "regulars" it's a good show. This is where the majority of us live not just at shows but in our day to day roles and jobs. Do enough to be successful but skirt the extra degree or two of effort it takes to really make things happen.
Those Who WOW!: Sadly, I can count the number of these folks that I saw last week on one hand. Sure, they had great looking products but so do a lot of their competitors. These guys went above and beyond to stand out. They had a great strategy for how to generate interest, attract new customers and WOW everyone that walked in the booth. They had a well executed theme and strategy and from what I could tell it paid off - BIG TIME. Not only were customers talking about it but so were competitors.
Admittedly, we fell way too much in to the steady Eddy category and didn't do nearly enough to WOW! last week. It's not easy because it means every day you have to push yourself and not let up. You have to not accept good from yourself or anyone else - you demand greatness! There are always plenty of reasons why things don't turn out quite the way we wish - and we are experts at justifying the reasons why. Steady as she goes.....
I would rather push myself to keep searching "How to WOW." It's hard work, it's uncomfortable, it tests your patience and sticktoitiveness but it seems to me the results are all worth it. I hope next time they are all talking about me!
The show itself is almost anti-climatic just like the wedding ceremony or the prom dance. What I mean is that there is so much preparation, planning and work that goes in to what gets done once the actual event rolls around that it's actually a relief to just get to the opening day of the show and to be able to put all those weeks of meetings and hours of work in to action. While I suspect that everyone puts the same amount of work into preparing for the show as we do it is interesting to watch and see how people do things differently and how our expectations vary. There are three very distinct approaches with not very surprising results:
The Show Up Hopers: These well meaning folks just can't understand why business is so slow and are happy to proclaim to anyone who will listen what a bust the show is. The funny thing is these folks seemingly do little or nothing to prepare to make a great first impression on their customers and prospects and they even more inexplicably assume that "if they build it, they will come." What's more their preparation weeks and months ahead of the show seems to match their first impression and they do very little to intentionally drive traffic to their booth. That's a hard way to make a living in today's world. And a long three days to sit in an empty booth and watch all the business go somewhere else.
The Steady Eddies: Nothing really wrong with these folks at all. They are consistent, reliable, loyal and (dare I say) predictable. They pretty much do the same thing every time and their same customers come to see them just like they do every show. They are happy with the status quo and as long as they see all the "regulars" it's a good show. This is where the majority of us live not just at shows but in our day to day roles and jobs. Do enough to be successful but skirt the extra degree or two of effort it takes to really make things happen.
Those Who WOW!: Sadly, I can count the number of these folks that I saw last week on one hand. Sure, they had great looking products but so do a lot of their competitors. These guys went above and beyond to stand out. They had a great strategy for how to generate interest, attract new customers and WOW everyone that walked in the booth. They had a well executed theme and strategy and from what I could tell it paid off - BIG TIME. Not only were customers talking about it but so were competitors.
Admittedly, we fell way too much in to the steady Eddy category and didn't do nearly enough to WOW! last week. It's not easy because it means every day you have to push yourself and not let up. You have to not accept good from yourself or anyone else - you demand greatness! There are always plenty of reasons why things don't turn out quite the way we wish - and we are experts at justifying the reasons why. Steady as she goes.....
I would rather push myself to keep searching "How to WOW." It's hard work, it's uncomfortable, it tests your patience and sticktoitiveness but it seems to me the results are all worth it. I hope next time they are all talking about me!
Friday, August 19, 2011
What I did on my summer vacation, Part 2
Well, I never intended to leave a 6 week gap between posts but life has a funny way of getting in the way while we're busy making plans!
It seems that while I was busy thinking about creating value I wasn't spending enough time making it happen! So in the last several weeks several of my colleagues and I have rolled up our sleeves and tried to connect more intimately with our customers as well as our coworkers to learn more about what's happening and specifically what their needs are. The results? Some of the most exciting ideas, plans and strategies that we have done for with our customers and especially end consumers in mind in the history of our business. But I'm not ready to let that cat out of the bag quite yet!
Here's what I can say... looking at yourself honestly, being critical and analytical about who you are, what you do and why you exist in this world and ultimately why you and your business matters is hard work. But like my dad always said, "if it was easy, anybody could do it." I hate it when he's right and the fact that the older I get the wiser my dad is and the more sense he makes! Unfortunately, most people never take or make the time for such an investigative approach to business and life.
So here's some thoughts and some questions for you to ponder this week: why do you exist? What unique qualities were you created with that can best be used for the benefit of others? What is your vision for where you will ultimately wind up? What plans do you need to put in place to get there? Intentions are just ideas that never go much farther than the idea itself. ACTIONS move you towards the directions you need to go which will lead you to the destinations you have set for yourself to reach.
In conclusion, which destinations are you shooting for? What ACTIONS do you need to start taking to lead you in the right direction? Just as importantly, what do you need to STOP doing so that you can more effectively work on what you need to START doing?
I used to have a college professor who I thought was one of the smartest guys I ever met. He used to tell our class all the time "it's not the destination, it's the journey!" At the time I thought there was a lot of wisdom behind that but the only problem is I have wasted a lot of years enjoying the journey only to wake up and realize I don't know where the heck I'm going and while I had fun getting nowhere there are some places I really would like to end up before I get to the end of the road.
Thank goodness, thanks to some hard work, personal sould searching and encouragement from friends and colleagues I have stopped wandering and started working on a road map. What direction are you heading in?
It seems that while I was busy thinking about creating value I wasn't spending enough time making it happen! So in the last several weeks several of my colleagues and I have rolled up our sleeves and tried to connect more intimately with our customers as well as our coworkers to learn more about what's happening and specifically what their needs are. The results? Some of the most exciting ideas, plans and strategies that we have done for with our customers and especially end consumers in mind in the history of our business. But I'm not ready to let that cat out of the bag quite yet!
Here's what I can say... looking at yourself honestly, being critical and analytical about who you are, what you do and why you exist in this world and ultimately why you and your business matters is hard work. But like my dad always said, "if it was easy, anybody could do it." I hate it when he's right and the fact that the older I get the wiser my dad is and the more sense he makes! Unfortunately, most people never take or make the time for such an investigative approach to business and life.
So here's some thoughts and some questions for you to ponder this week: why do you exist? What unique qualities were you created with that can best be used for the benefit of others? What is your vision for where you will ultimately wind up? What plans do you need to put in place to get there? Intentions are just ideas that never go much farther than the idea itself. ACTIONS move you towards the directions you need to go which will lead you to the destinations you have set for yourself to reach.
In conclusion, which destinations are you shooting for? What ACTIONS do you need to start taking to lead you in the right direction? Just as importantly, what do you need to STOP doing so that you can more effectively work on what you need to START doing?
I used to have a college professor who I thought was one of the smartest guys I ever met. He used to tell our class all the time "it's not the destination, it's the journey!" At the time I thought there was a lot of wisdom behind that but the only problem is I have wasted a lot of years enjoying the journey only to wake up and realize I don't know where the heck I'm going and while I had fun getting nowhere there are some places I really would like to end up before I get to the end of the road.
Thank goodness, thanks to some hard work, personal sould searching and encouragement from friends and colleagues I have stopped wandering and started working on a road map. What direction are you heading in?
Thursday, July 7, 2011
How I Spent my Summer Vacation
Well, much to my chagrin and due to no lack of effort I took the week off last week to spend a fun filled week at Thee Camp. What? Never heard of it? It's my church's youth camp for grades 7-12. So along with 50 or so other adult counselors and staff from my church and about 250 of my closest 13-18 year old friends I took the long holiday weekend to venture to Camp Tejas in the (hot) beautiful Texas Hill Country for a week of fun, faith and fellowship. If I've had a better 6 days in my life since I myself was a student I would be hard pressed to remember them. Besides, we could all use to act like teenagers every now and then, couldn't we?
So how does church camp relate to business and to serving your customers? In just about every way possible, my friend! If I were to write of all the lessons and takeaways from last week I would probably short circuit the capacity of my blog site so let me summarize as best as possible my top 3 takeaways from last week.
First, the more you give, the more you receive. I admit I was tentative about going. I have never been to a summer camp before in my life as a youth or an adult. The first couple of days I was kind of hanging out in "observation mode" hoping to interact with a few students I knew pretty well before going on the trip. To make a long story short, by the end of the trip I was totally immersed in meeting kids I had never met before, reaching out to find out what their needs and concerns were and interjecting myself as best as possible with answers to their questions and suggestions on how to live life more abundantly. My only regret in reaching out to the kids I spoke with is that I didn't do more, sooner. What I discovered was that the more I went out of my way to meet my customers, if you will, the more I wanted to do for them - and the more they asked and confided in me. It was a tough first step but after the first steps doors opened up wide for opportunities. Boom!
Second, the mind is a terrible thing to waste. For 6 whole days I completely unplugged from the world. No email, no social media, no texting. Nothing. By day 2 my mind was filled with fresh new thoughts, ideas and implementations to make my business, my family and my life a better place for me and those I share it with. I cannot recall when the last time is that I really had time to just sit and think. About nothing. And everything. What a powerful lesson it was for me. I don't know how but I am determined to find more "white space" in my schedule to plan. It may cost me scratching some things off of my "To Do" list in the short term (and indeed my list has grown exponentially as a result) but I am already more effective, intentional and relational with my customers and stakeholders than I have been in years.
Finally, sleep is way over rated. With the help of the 11 8th graders in my cabin I found myself going to bed most nights at a time that had a 2 or 3 as the first number on the clock. I have never been much of a sleeper although in the months leading up to my experience I had found myself requiring more and more. With my new found attitude towards serving others, planning and thinking more in terms of leaving a legacy I have more energy than I have had again in longer than I can remember. I literally am only sleeping 4 or 5 hours a night but I wake up in the (early) morning ready to jump out of bed and attack the plans I have laid out for the day ahead. Woo Hoo!! Honestly, I tried once or twice while at camp to catch an afternoon nap and my mind just wouldn't let me rest. I admit that I may be wired a little different than most but I can only tell you that my creativity and energy level is off the charts. The more energized I get, the less sleep I seem to require.
So, I wonder how this might play out for some of you? Since I began several weeks ago this blog is and has been all about creating value for constituents and customers. Don't sit on the sidelines. Get in tight with your customers and don't be afraid to get dirty and sweat a little bit! I bet the more you ask the more opportunities you'll have to be the one to provide the answers.
I wonder how you might work in some time to be alone with your thoughts to organize and re prioritize your life? It can't be done in a small amount of time but the benefits are life changing and life giving. What are you doing this weekend? Really?
Finally, don't lose a week, a day, an hour to do what matters most. You may be able to circle back and make up for lost time but every hour we spend is an investment and if we squander the time we lose the interest - in more ways than one.
Hope you find your Thee Camp today! Can I get an Amen!?
So how does church camp relate to business and to serving your customers? In just about every way possible, my friend! If I were to write of all the lessons and takeaways from last week I would probably short circuit the capacity of my blog site so let me summarize as best as possible my top 3 takeaways from last week.
First, the more you give, the more you receive. I admit I was tentative about going. I have never been to a summer camp before in my life as a youth or an adult. The first couple of days I was kind of hanging out in "observation mode" hoping to interact with a few students I knew pretty well before going on the trip. To make a long story short, by the end of the trip I was totally immersed in meeting kids I had never met before, reaching out to find out what their needs and concerns were and interjecting myself as best as possible with answers to their questions and suggestions on how to live life more abundantly. My only regret in reaching out to the kids I spoke with is that I didn't do more, sooner. What I discovered was that the more I went out of my way to meet my customers, if you will, the more I wanted to do for them - and the more they asked and confided in me. It was a tough first step but after the first steps doors opened up wide for opportunities. Boom!
Second, the mind is a terrible thing to waste. For 6 whole days I completely unplugged from the world. No email, no social media, no texting. Nothing. By day 2 my mind was filled with fresh new thoughts, ideas and implementations to make my business, my family and my life a better place for me and those I share it with. I cannot recall when the last time is that I really had time to just sit and think. About nothing. And everything. What a powerful lesson it was for me. I don't know how but I am determined to find more "white space" in my schedule to plan. It may cost me scratching some things off of my "To Do" list in the short term (and indeed my list has grown exponentially as a result) but I am already more effective, intentional and relational with my customers and stakeholders than I have been in years.
Finally, sleep is way over rated. With the help of the 11 8th graders in my cabin I found myself going to bed most nights at a time that had a 2 or 3 as the first number on the clock. I have never been much of a sleeper although in the months leading up to my experience I had found myself requiring more and more. With my new found attitude towards serving others, planning and thinking more in terms of leaving a legacy I have more energy than I have had again in longer than I can remember. I literally am only sleeping 4 or 5 hours a night but I wake up in the (early) morning ready to jump out of bed and attack the plans I have laid out for the day ahead. Woo Hoo!! Honestly, I tried once or twice while at camp to catch an afternoon nap and my mind just wouldn't let me rest. I admit that I may be wired a little different than most but I can only tell you that my creativity and energy level is off the charts. The more energized I get, the less sleep I seem to require.
So, I wonder how this might play out for some of you? Since I began several weeks ago this blog is and has been all about creating value for constituents and customers. Don't sit on the sidelines. Get in tight with your customers and don't be afraid to get dirty and sweat a little bit! I bet the more you ask the more opportunities you'll have to be the one to provide the answers.
I wonder how you might work in some time to be alone with your thoughts to organize and re prioritize your life? It can't be done in a small amount of time but the benefits are life changing and life giving. What are you doing this weekend? Really?
Finally, don't lose a week, a day, an hour to do what matters most. You may be able to circle back and make up for lost time but every hour we spend is an investment and if we squander the time we lose the interest - in more ways than one.
Hope you find your Thee Camp today! Can I get an Amen!?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Life Lessons
Earlier this week I had one of those "trips from hell" that happen on occasion for those who travel frequently for business. To make a long story short, I spent a long week one afternoon and evening in the Mobile (Alabama) regional airport. Due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, my flight was ultimately cancelled and I was forced to spend an extra night that I hadn't packed or planned for. Out of the misery of my experiences came a few wonderful lessons on how to deliver value even if business is tough, your customers are not happy to do business with you and you become the scapegoat for everything from the economy to what your customer had for breakfast.
Lesson #1: There are some customers that no matter how hard you try you can neither deliver value nor make happy. There was a woman who by the time the evening was over had blamed everyone at the airlines, airport and even fellow passengers for all her troubles. My advice to the worn out gate agent was to essentially fire this customer and get on to the business of serving the customers who actually needed and wanted her help. Eventually that's exactly what happened and EVERYONE was much better off as soon as it did. Does this bring any particular customer(s) to mind for you?
Lesson #2: No matter how difficult things are, no matter how hard your customers are struggling, there are always opportunities to create and give value to your customers. The best way is to take time to listen to their needs and then address them as directly, impactfully and positively as possible. This is exactly what all representatives of the airline did not only for me as an elite member of their frequent flier program but for each and every (rational) customer that was affected. They explained the situation, they gave us options on how best to meet our travel needs and made sure that (eventually) everyone got to their destinations. I wish I could say that this type of service happened all the time in the airline industry but we all know different. What creative ways can you think of to bring value to your customer - even if it means giving business to the competition?
Lesson #3: Go out of your way to meet your customer's needs. After a long and rather exhausting afternoon and evening I was booked in to a nearby hotel, compliments of the airline. Upon my arrival I was greeted by an ultra friendly front desk clerk who seemed to almost know I was coming and who once I gave my name to used it a number of times to tell me about the hotel and the services offered. By now it was getting late in the evening I inquired as to how long the hotel restaurant was going to be open. Her response not only eased my fears of eating dinner out of a vending machine but it down right shocked (and delighted) me. Get this: "the restaurant closes at 10:00 but you go to your room, relax, change, whatever you want to do. I will make sure they are ready for you whenever you arrive." I would like to tell you that the airline had put me up at a luxurious hotel that is nationally known for outstanding service (at a luxury price) but we all know different. What silly company policies or procedures keep you from doing what is ultimately best to earn customer loyalty and trust?
Lesson #4: Going above and beyond will earn future business. I was also given a voucher for a free cab ride to and from the airport. At the end of my long ordeal I was just thinking about getting to the hotel, getting out of my business suit and getting something to eat. Little did I ever expect to receive anything more than mindless chatter from a local cabbie. It was pouring rain at the point I came out to get in the cab. The driver quickly jumped out and ran around to meet me at the curb and said "sir, please step down the walkway underneath the awning so your suit doesn't get soaked!" Nice gesture, especially since she herself got soaked in an effort to keep me from doing so. Not only that but again seeming to know my situation on the way to the hotel she asked what time my flight was the next morning and what time I wanted to be picked up. Knowing I had to be picked up at 5:00 a.m. and the fact that it was 9:00 p.m. at the time I tried to decline her offer and have the hotel arrange transportation for me. She would have none of it and the next morning was there right on time. I now have her business card logged in to my contacts and can assure you if I ever need cab service in that city again I know who to call. I will also refer any friends who live in Mobile who might need taxi service. I would like to tell you that's just what I expected but we all know different. How can you give sacrifically of yourself to inspire customers to keep coming back and refer you to their friends?
WOW!
There are many more lessons that I am leaving out in the interest of brevity. Think about it though, how can you apply each of these lessons to working with and creating value for your customers? It's not magic, it just takes the little one extra degree of effort (212 degree reference again). Each one of them not only made what might have been a terrible experience better but I can assure you they earned my future business when I return to that town again. Business may be tough, things may not be going your way, customers may be demanding more than ever but you can ALWAYS find a way to make a positive difference for your customers that they will long remember.
I'd like to tell you that you can try to stay the course, ride out the tough economy and that business will eventually come back and your old way of thinking and selling will earn back your customer's business when it does - BUT WE ALL KNOW DIFFERENT.
Lesson #1: There are some customers that no matter how hard you try you can neither deliver value nor make happy. There was a woman who by the time the evening was over had blamed everyone at the airlines, airport and even fellow passengers for all her troubles. My advice to the worn out gate agent was to essentially fire this customer and get on to the business of serving the customers who actually needed and wanted her help. Eventually that's exactly what happened and EVERYONE was much better off as soon as it did. Does this bring any particular customer(s) to mind for you?
Lesson #2: No matter how difficult things are, no matter how hard your customers are struggling, there are always opportunities to create and give value to your customers. The best way is to take time to listen to their needs and then address them as directly, impactfully and positively as possible. This is exactly what all representatives of the airline did not only for me as an elite member of their frequent flier program but for each and every (rational) customer that was affected. They explained the situation, they gave us options on how best to meet our travel needs and made sure that (eventually) everyone got to their destinations. I wish I could say that this type of service happened all the time in the airline industry but we all know different. What creative ways can you think of to bring value to your customer - even if it means giving business to the competition?
Lesson #3: Go out of your way to meet your customer's needs. After a long and rather exhausting afternoon and evening I was booked in to a nearby hotel, compliments of the airline. Upon my arrival I was greeted by an ultra friendly front desk clerk who seemed to almost know I was coming and who once I gave my name to used it a number of times to tell me about the hotel and the services offered. By now it was getting late in the evening I inquired as to how long the hotel restaurant was going to be open. Her response not only eased my fears of eating dinner out of a vending machine but it down right shocked (and delighted) me. Get this: "the restaurant closes at 10:00 but you go to your room, relax, change, whatever you want to do. I will make sure they are ready for you whenever you arrive." I would like to tell you that the airline had put me up at a luxurious hotel that is nationally known for outstanding service (at a luxury price) but we all know different. What silly company policies or procedures keep you from doing what is ultimately best to earn customer loyalty and trust?
Lesson #4: Going above and beyond will earn future business. I was also given a voucher for a free cab ride to and from the airport. At the end of my long ordeal I was just thinking about getting to the hotel, getting out of my business suit and getting something to eat. Little did I ever expect to receive anything more than mindless chatter from a local cabbie. It was pouring rain at the point I came out to get in the cab. The driver quickly jumped out and ran around to meet me at the curb and said "sir, please step down the walkway underneath the awning so your suit doesn't get soaked!" Nice gesture, especially since she herself got soaked in an effort to keep me from doing so. Not only that but again seeming to know my situation on the way to the hotel she asked what time my flight was the next morning and what time I wanted to be picked up. Knowing I had to be picked up at 5:00 a.m. and the fact that it was 9:00 p.m. at the time I tried to decline her offer and have the hotel arrange transportation for me. She would have none of it and the next morning was there right on time. I now have her business card logged in to my contacts and can assure you if I ever need cab service in that city again I know who to call. I will also refer any friends who live in Mobile who might need taxi service. I would like to tell you that's just what I expected but we all know different. How can you give sacrifically of yourself to inspire customers to keep coming back and refer you to their friends?
WOW!
There are many more lessons that I am leaving out in the interest of brevity. Think about it though, how can you apply each of these lessons to working with and creating value for your customers? It's not magic, it just takes the little one extra degree of effort (212 degree reference again). Each one of them not only made what might have been a terrible experience better but I can assure you they earned my future business when I return to that town again. Business may be tough, things may not be going your way, customers may be demanding more than ever but you can ALWAYS find a way to make a positive difference for your customers that they will long remember.
I'd like to tell you that you can try to stay the course, ride out the tough economy and that business will eventually come back and your old way of thinking and selling will earn back your customer's business when it does - BUT WE ALL KNOW DIFFERENT.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Give Me Value
As I have mentioned, I have been in sales a long time. Since the day I began selling paper subscriptions when I was 10 years old I learned and studied the basics of selling. I learned over and over again to show up early, outwork my competition and above all else sell FAB's! Features, Advantages and Benefits, that is. While there is nothing really inherently wrong with the way I was taught and the style I developed, the world has changed.
As the economy turned and all of us are learning to live with less it has squeezed the salespeople who are still out there selling the same way they have their whole careers. As a result, for many, many reasons customers have a lot more buying power and salespeople are left to compete primarily on price. It's a difficult and frustrating way to make a living.
To succeed in sales today you have to be able to quickly, clearly and concisely show your customers where and how you provide value, whether you provide a product or a service. The more tangible and quantifiable the benefit(s), the better. It sounds easy but it isn't.
It's easy to stick to the tried and true FAB's and indeed it may continue to work - on a much smaller scale. I believe to not only survive but also thrive in today's marketplace we all need to be crystal clear on what our value message is and why it makes a difference.
Why do I say it isn't easy? Because I am living it first hand. I own and help manage a very successful independently owned business that for three decades survived on making FABulous products. Like everyone I know in sales, however I have far too many competitors and not nearly enough customers to maintain my business in status quo mode. I am forcing myself to change the way I think about doing business because I am not ready to settle for good (the enemy of great). I want to work along with my committed stakeholders to make our business greater than it has ever been.
One of the ways I have started thinking about creating value is by authoring a meaningful blog and sharing my value message with others. To that end and as always, I hope you will share your comments, ideas, success stories and opinions with me and that you will pass this post along to your friends, coworkers and contacts who will see the value in following me.
This week consider:
1. What is my value message?
2. How can I most clearly communicate it?
3. Why does it matter to my customers?
If we answer these questions correctly greatness will be knocking on our doors!
As the economy turned and all of us are learning to live with less it has squeezed the salespeople who are still out there selling the same way they have their whole careers. As a result, for many, many reasons customers have a lot more buying power and salespeople are left to compete primarily on price. It's a difficult and frustrating way to make a living.
To succeed in sales today you have to be able to quickly, clearly and concisely show your customers where and how you provide value, whether you provide a product or a service. The more tangible and quantifiable the benefit(s), the better. It sounds easy but it isn't.
It's easy to stick to the tried and true FAB's and indeed it may continue to work - on a much smaller scale. I believe to not only survive but also thrive in today's marketplace we all need to be crystal clear on what our value message is and why it makes a difference.
Why do I say it isn't easy? Because I am living it first hand. I own and help manage a very successful independently owned business that for three decades survived on making FABulous products. Like everyone I know in sales, however I have far too many competitors and not nearly enough customers to maintain my business in status quo mode. I am forcing myself to change the way I think about doing business because I am not ready to settle for good (the enemy of great). I want to work along with my committed stakeholders to make our business greater than it has ever been.
One of the ways I have started thinking about creating value is by authoring a meaningful blog and sharing my value message with others. To that end and as always, I hope you will share your comments, ideas, success stories and opinions with me and that you will pass this post along to your friends, coworkers and contacts who will see the value in following me.
This week consider:
1. What is my value message?
2. How can I most clearly communicate it?
3. Why does it matter to my customers?
If we answer these questions correctly greatness will be knocking on our doors!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
How Able is your Value?
I have been in sales my whole life. I started out at 10 years old knocking on doors to sell subscriptions to the local community newspaper and haven't stopped since. I've received hundreds of rejections and experienced some of the greatest highs in my life throughout my sales career by successfully winning and earning business from my customers. There is a trend that is unlike anything I have ever seen in my 35+ years of sales. It's changed the sales landscape with the force of a mighty storm. And I contend sales will ever be the same again.
Today's customers live at a more frenetic pace than at any time in history. I know because I am one. Traditional ways of marketing and advertising have lost their effectiveness. If you have fallen in to the rut of trying to sell on price (and who of us haven't) or trying to impress people with your incredible list of product features I wish you the best of luck in your new career once you figure out that you can no longer survive in the sales world.
The key to succeeding in sales over the next many years is creating VALUE for the people who buy from you. Otherwise, they do not have the time to waste listening to your same old canned (and boring) sales pitches. If you are not perceived as a ValueABLE resource to your customers I suggest you figure out how or like I said good luck doing something else.
Maybe you disagree. But I am finishing up a week in New York where I have talked to many, many customers and observed what I believe is 100% confirmation that I'm right. If you agree with me then I suggest the following 5 applications that you can start working on TODAY.
1. Spend time with your customers
2. Ask great questions
3. Study their business and buying decisions from every possible angle
4. Find out what are the key drivers to their success
5. Tailor yourself and your products and services towards creating VALUE based on what you
learn
Sounds easy enough? Then why don't more people do it? Because it takes extra effort (remember the 212 degrees analogy), because it is a different way to approach sales and because it's an entirely new way of selling that most of us have not been trained to excel in. I am learning every day from places I never imagined could contribute to a sales career.
Next week I will endeavor to define what I mean by value. What it is and what it isn't. Meanwhile I suggest you get to work and make sure you are ABLE to create VALUE for all of your customers in a way that will make in an invaluable business partner and one of those who will begin seeing amazing results no matter what conditions you're competing in.
Today's customers live at a more frenetic pace than at any time in history. I know because I am one. Traditional ways of marketing and advertising have lost their effectiveness. If you have fallen in to the rut of trying to sell on price (and who of us haven't) or trying to impress people with your incredible list of product features I wish you the best of luck in your new career once you figure out that you can no longer survive in the sales world.
The key to succeeding in sales over the next many years is creating VALUE for the people who buy from you. Otherwise, they do not have the time to waste listening to your same old canned (and boring) sales pitches. If you are not perceived as a ValueABLE resource to your customers I suggest you figure out how or like I said good luck doing something else.
Maybe you disagree. But I am finishing up a week in New York where I have talked to many, many customers and observed what I believe is 100% confirmation that I'm right. If you agree with me then I suggest the following 5 applications that you can start working on TODAY.
1. Spend time with your customers
2. Ask great questions
3. Study their business and buying decisions from every possible angle
4. Find out what are the key drivers to their success
5. Tailor yourself and your products and services towards creating VALUE based on what you
learn
Sounds easy enough? Then why don't more people do it? Because it takes extra effort (remember the 212 degrees analogy), because it is a different way to approach sales and because it's an entirely new way of selling that most of us have not been trained to excel in. I am learning every day from places I never imagined could contribute to a sales career.
Next week I will endeavor to define what I mean by value. What it is and what it isn't. Meanwhile I suggest you get to work and make sure you are ABLE to create VALUE for all of your customers in a way that will make in an invaluable business partner and one of those who will begin seeing amazing results no matter what conditions you're competing in.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
True Value
No, I'm not talking about the Hardware Chain. I am talking about YOUR business. More than just mine and yours I am also referring to your suppliers - the people you do business with to help you meet your customer's needs. Of course I am ultimately talking about your customers as well.
Here is my question for all of us: is what we are doing all day every day creating VALUE for our stakeholders and customers? How about what you're working on right now? You see whether you are the President of the Company or one of the many behind the scenes people who feel you don't get noticed nearly enough everything you do should create value. It certainly will determine the amount of success the company you run or work in will enjoy in the future.
Let's face it folks, technology has not simplified our lives. It has made it go 1,000 times faster. Just trying to keep up with the latest news, the latest technology and the latest developments in our industry is enough to send us into a panic. And it's all happening in real time. What most of us really need is some "white space" in our days to be able to sit back reflect on the past and plan for the future. While keeping ourselves sane in the present!
Why does this matter and what does it have to do with value? Everything! The only way to get noticed and be relevant in today's terabyte, light speed world is to do something to simplify your customer's lives while giving them something they value - and get this - will gladly pay more for. Look around at how many companies and even industries have been created in the last decade. Why? I'll save that discussion for next week!
I want to invite you to share what it is that you value most in a business partner, company you do business with or supplier? Think clearly about what it is they do or how they do it that would make it impossible for another company to come in and take their place. Now, isn't that how we all wish all of our customers felt about us? More on that next week...
I want to have a little fun with this and incorporate some of your answers in to next week's and subsequent week's blogs. To encourage your thoughtful feedback I will select the Top 5 Answers I receive by 12:00 p.m. Central Time Monday, June 6th and send a special little gift that could pay you back in more ways than one! Who knows, your great idea might pay off big time!!
Feel free to send your answers via my Twitter account (@JReneeEric), reply to my blog (http://www.remacink.blogspot.com/), reply to the post on my Linkedin page or e-mail, erich@ remacinc.com.
Each week I hope to provide you with some insight that will resonate with your business and will add VALUE to all of your business and personal inter workings. I hope this will encourage you to share, like, retweet, post and comment so that more of your contacts, customers and stakeholders might benefit as well.
To yOUR Success,
Eric
Here is my question for all of us: is what we are doing all day every day creating VALUE for our stakeholders and customers? How about what you're working on right now? You see whether you are the President of the Company or one of the many behind the scenes people who feel you don't get noticed nearly enough everything you do should create value. It certainly will determine the amount of success the company you run or work in will enjoy in the future.
Let's face it folks, technology has not simplified our lives. It has made it go 1,000 times faster. Just trying to keep up with the latest news, the latest technology and the latest developments in our industry is enough to send us into a panic. And it's all happening in real time. What most of us really need is some "white space" in our days to be able to sit back reflect on the past and plan for the future. While keeping ourselves sane in the present!
Why does this matter and what does it have to do with value? Everything! The only way to get noticed and be relevant in today's terabyte, light speed world is to do something to simplify your customer's lives while giving them something they value - and get this - will gladly pay more for. Look around at how many companies and even industries have been created in the last decade. Why? I'll save that discussion for next week!
I want to invite you to share what it is that you value most in a business partner, company you do business with or supplier? Think clearly about what it is they do or how they do it that would make it impossible for another company to come in and take their place. Now, isn't that how we all wish all of our customers felt about us? More on that next week...
I want to have a little fun with this and incorporate some of your answers in to next week's and subsequent week's blogs. To encourage your thoughtful feedback I will select the Top 5 Answers I receive by 12:00 p.m. Central Time Monday, June 6th and send a special little gift that could pay you back in more ways than one! Who knows, your great idea might pay off big time!!
Feel free to send your answers via my Twitter account (@JReneeEric), reply to my blog (http://www.remacink.blogspot.com/), reply to the post on my Linkedin page or e-mail, erich@ remacinc.com.
Each week I hope to provide you with some insight that will resonate with your business and will add VALUE to all of your business and personal inter workings. I hope this will encourage you to share, like, retweet, post and comment so that more of your contacts, customers and stakeholders might benefit as well.
To yOUR Success,
Eric
Thursday, May 26, 2011
1% is all that Matters
I love the 212 degree analogy. What, not familiar with that one? Here it is in a nutshell. At 211 degrees you have hot water. At 212 degrees water boils. 1 degree makes all the difference. 1 degree takes you from hot stuff to enough power to influence yourself and others in many wonderful ways that are as unique as you are. Let me give you a couple of examples of how I was impacted by this over the last week by people involved in sales, just like me. It created some WOW! moments for me and some additional sales for them.
I got a call from the owner of a store I shop at a few times a year. I am certainly not one of his best customers but enjoy shopping with him on occasion. He called me last week to inform me that they were having a trunk show on Saturday by one of the vendors for which he knew I had an affinity. While it was a nice gesture I may or may not have attended based on how busy my day was. What sent me over the top was that he tied in this vendor with a national charity and had the vendor create a special item for which the proceeds of the sales would go to benefit the charity. New clothes for a cause! Reel me in. Not only did I go out of my way to get there last Saturday but I took my oldest son with me and he found several items that he wanted both now and in the future. Let's just say I spent more than I planned to and felt good about it. WOW!
There is a local store that we ocassionally shop and buy some very high end merchandise from in order to show it to our product development team and factories for various applications within our business. During a recent visit (in which we spent a good bit of money) we met the manager and exchanged cards and pleasantries. She made some promises that she would stay in touch - to which I assumed was much the same as hundreds of other retail transactions that I have made in the past. You know, the ones where they ask for your e-mail address so they can fill your in box with lame e-mails and sale announcements, etc., etc.? Last week I got a personal e-mail from the manager thanking me (again) for our last visit and advising us that based on our last visit and purchases she had personally selected some new styles that she thought we would be interested in. Not only that, she sent pictures of the styles and offered to deliver them to us directly if it would be easier than us taking time to come visit her at the store. WOW!
So I ask you, where do you think I'm going next time I need some new clothes? The next time I need to shop a store to see what the latest European fashions are? Here's the beauty...how long did it take for these two people to personally get in touch with me and not just try to sell me something but make it personal and meaningful to me - so much so that I am writing about them?! A minute or two each? Sure, some planning went in to both events but by going 1% more they turned me from a customer in to a fan. WOW!
So I ask you, where and how can you give 1% more? In your job? In your relationships? In your kindness towards others? In your communities and neighborhoods? What else?
I invite your feedback and ask you to share how and where 1% made all the difference for you in the coming week. Happy Memorial Day!
I got a call from the owner of a store I shop at a few times a year. I am certainly not one of his best customers but enjoy shopping with him on occasion. He called me last week to inform me that they were having a trunk show on Saturday by one of the vendors for which he knew I had an affinity. While it was a nice gesture I may or may not have attended based on how busy my day was. What sent me over the top was that he tied in this vendor with a national charity and had the vendor create a special item for which the proceeds of the sales would go to benefit the charity. New clothes for a cause! Reel me in. Not only did I go out of my way to get there last Saturday but I took my oldest son with me and he found several items that he wanted both now and in the future. Let's just say I spent more than I planned to and felt good about it. WOW!
There is a local store that we ocassionally shop and buy some very high end merchandise from in order to show it to our product development team and factories for various applications within our business. During a recent visit (in which we spent a good bit of money) we met the manager and exchanged cards and pleasantries. She made some promises that she would stay in touch - to which I assumed was much the same as hundreds of other retail transactions that I have made in the past. You know, the ones where they ask for your e-mail address so they can fill your in box with lame e-mails and sale announcements, etc., etc.? Last week I got a personal e-mail from the manager thanking me (again) for our last visit and advising us that based on our last visit and purchases she had personally selected some new styles that she thought we would be interested in. Not only that, she sent pictures of the styles and offered to deliver them to us directly if it would be easier than us taking time to come visit her at the store. WOW!
So I ask you, where do you think I'm going next time I need some new clothes? The next time I need to shop a store to see what the latest European fashions are? Here's the beauty...how long did it take for these two people to personally get in touch with me and not just try to sell me something but make it personal and meaningful to me - so much so that I am writing about them?! A minute or two each? Sure, some planning went in to both events but by going 1% more they turned me from a customer in to a fan. WOW!
So I ask you, where and how can you give 1% more? In your job? In your relationships? In your kindness towards others? In your communities and neighborhoods? What else?
I invite your feedback and ask you to share how and where 1% made all the difference for you in the coming week. Happy Memorial Day!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
What is $1,380 Worth?
Yesterday I was working late and took a phone call from a customer after everyone else had gone home. Usually these calls are not very productive or profitable but I reluctantly answered the phone. The call was from a customer that we have done business with for a long, long time but as I looked up in our system while I was talking to her on the phone I discovered we hadn't earned any business from her since 2008. That was just the beginning of the lessons I learned in a brief 10 minute phone call.
In a few short minutes the customer purchased $1,380.50 worth of merchandise while talking to me and viewing styles on our website (many lessons there). It wasn't the largest order we got yesterday but it certainly was not the smallest. I asked why she hadn't purchased from us in a while and she said sh really didn't know that she had missed us at the recent shows and no one had called her to check in recently with her. WOW!!! and UH-OH!!!
How could we let this happen? In a market where we are fighting for every dollar and every customer how do we let someone who has good credit, is a long-term customer and apparently has enough affinity for our products to go seek us out on the internet just disappear into the abyss? Carelessness, laziness, taking our eye off the ball....fill in the blank but it violates every customer service rule we believe in and everything we say we stand for.
So whether you work for me, work for yourself or work for someone else here are some questions to consider no matter who your customer is and what you are selling. I would love your feedback as well - what other questions (and answers) does this bring to light for you?
In a few short minutes the customer purchased $1,380.50 worth of merchandise while talking to me and viewing styles on our website (many lessons there). It wasn't the largest order we got yesterday but it certainly was not the smallest. I asked why she hadn't purchased from us in a while and she said sh really didn't know that she had missed us at the recent shows and no one had called her to check in recently with her. WOW!!! and UH-OH!!!
How could we let this happen? In a market where we are fighting for every dollar and every customer how do we let someone who has good credit, is a long-term customer and apparently has enough affinity for our products to go seek us out on the internet just disappear into the abyss? Carelessness, laziness, taking our eye off the ball....fill in the blank but it violates every customer service rule we believe in and everything we say we stand for.
So whether you work for me, work for yourself or work for someone else here are some questions to consider no matter who your customer is and what you are selling. I would love your feedback as well - what other questions (and answers) does this bring to light for you?
- Are you really connected to your customers?
- Do they really feel valued and appreciated by you and your company?
- How much does it cost you to take each day to reach out to inactive or lost customers? and How much business have you lost as a result of not doing so?
- Do you have a plan, strategy or goal to reach out to others and offer to help even if they are not currently your customer?
- Others?
Maybe the thought crossed your mind - why all the verbiage about $1,380? Yea, right!
- How much business have we lost in the last three years that we ignored this customer?
- How much business will we earn from her the rest of this year now that we lucked in to getting her back and made a commitment to her that we won't EVER let that happen again?
- How many other customers have we forgotten, ignored, written off or (gasp) said no in the past that we stopped pursuing?
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